[stargroup100]

In the case of Planet Karma, I did say that there wasn't any strong features, but there were some aspects that made it a little bit different from other charts. For starters, rather than being one really long song, it's more like 5 smaller completely different movements, which is easier to keep the player engaged. In addition, there are small details that add significant appeal, such as changing backgrounds and panning effects. In this sense, the chart is a little bit more than just "a boring chart with nothing special about it."

My point however, is that if there were strong features, there would be no way it could be a popular chart. Pop songs are the same way. It could be an unoriginal song with nothing special about it, but the fact that it doesn't have strong features is what makes it popular.


Let's take another comparison. A chart can be "objectively wrong" if it's off-sync, as in the BPM and rhythms are wrong. Now the question is, why is this considered objectively wrong? It's not because it's impossible to enjoy. It's because it's a standard that we have set. Why is this a standard? We understand that lining up notes with the amplitude peaks makes a chart inherently more fun. Likewise, finding other patterns can also make a chart inherently more fun. Positioning the notes on the columns in relation to specific frequencies (pitch relevance) is an example. Does that mean a chart that does not follow pitch relevance isn't fun? No. However, doing so does help make your chart inherently more fun. In this way, "objective" qualities of a chart are really no different from "subjective" qualities. Art is subjective in many ways, but without objective rules and standards, you just have a chaotic subject of absolutely nothing that can be taken seriously and studied.


Another reason why a lot people think a lot of things art-related are more subjective than they actually are, is because of the psychological inclination to be more open-minded and liberal. People think that by saying everything is subjective and there are positive qualities to everything, they will become more open-minded and seem more intelligent. A bad song could have a positive quality to it, but it doesn't make the whole song overall any good. However, this inclination to subjectivity is flawed because it lacks common sense. The ability to logically and emotionally interpret a piece of work is obstructed by the need to appear open-minded. You can verbally express that you dislike a song and still recognize its positive qualities, but it doesn't change the fact that you hate the song. But the fact that you can recognize this means you already can tell the difference between quality and preference. In such a way, the distinction does exist.